Wednesday, November 28, 2007

To What Degree Does Claudius Think Hamlet A Threat?

It is clear that Claudius is highly concerned about the reason behind Hamlets madness. In Act Two, Scene Two, Claudius is so bent on discovering what ails Hamlet that it precedes his focus even when it comes to national affairs. Such behavior on the part of Claudius shows that he is quite suspicious about Hamlet's behavior. Even when Polonius suggests that his insanity is caused by Ophelia's witheld response to his love, Claudius still questions, leaning over to Ophelia and saying, "Do you think 'tis this?" (Line 152). I think King Claudius knows that something's up; that if Hamlet is not really being crazy, he could be a huge threat to him. I think that's why he wants Hamlet to talk to Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. Having old time friends confront him with the issue, might take Hamlet off guard and loosen him up a bit. If he were acting crazy, it would be hard to keep this facade for long in the prescence of such good friends. Because of Claudius's actions, I believe he thinks Hamlet to be a potentiously dangerous threat.

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